Machine for cleaning grain



H. FITTS.

Grain Cleaner.

Paten ted April '12. 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON FITTS, OF SOMERSET, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND NELSONTURNEL, OF ADDISON, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING GRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,641, dated April 12, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON FITTs, of Somerset, in the county ofHillsdale and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Cleaning Grain. the construction andoperation of which I have described in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings with sufficient clearness toenable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains oris most nearly allied to make and use my invention.

My said invention consists in the combination with a rubbing cylinderand a concave which partially surrounds it, of a flexible rubber whichis adjustable in relation to both the concave and cylinder ashereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan of my improved machine.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of it.

A is the frame of the machine.

B B are the sides.

C C are the fans by which the blast of air is produced which separatesthe chaff and light particles from the grain.

D is the frame in which the screens or sieves E are hung. These sievesare made of sheet metal by punching; the punching being so done as togive the interstices an angular direction forward and upward as shown atc c, by which the like direction is given to the blast as it passesupward through the screens, and as the screens so made and arrangedgather the air passing outward, more readily than the sieves in ordinaryuse, a much more efficient and satisfactory upward action of the blastthrough the grain which lies upon the screensis secured, and the chaffand light particles which may lodge upon them is thereby moreeffectually removed.

F is an emery wheel which receives motion by means of a belt G whichruns over a pulley on the shaft of the fan wheel. The grain is receivedfrom the screen H and the slide I upon the concave J and passes downbetween it and the scouring wheel F where it is subjected to the actionof the roughened surfaces of the concave J and wheel F. In the lowerpart of the concave J there is an adjustable elastic pad or rubber K, bythe adjustment of which the discharge of grain from between the concaveand rubber may be modified to correspond with the work to be done at thetime. This pad or rubber is kept up to its place of adjustment by awedge 70 extending crosswise of the machine immediately beneath it. Bythis means the discharge of the grain over the piece K, and consequentlythe scouring action of the rubber and concave upon it may be modified toalmost any desired extent.

The particular improvement which constitutes my said invention and whichI claim as having been originally and first invented by me is y Thecombination of the adjustable piece K with the concave and rubber,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

HARRISON FITTS.

Witnesses AUG. H. CHAPMAN, G. A. SMITH.

